This is an illustrative example, not a real customer's vehicle. It is here so you can see the format and the level of detail before you book. No real registration, owner or seller is shown.
MZANSI MOTIVE — PRE-PURCHASE INSPECTION REPORT
Example vehicle: 2017 Volkswagen Polo 1.2 TSI · 112,400 km · Inspected at seller's address, Kempton Park
Overall verdict: BUY WITH CONDITIONS
A sound car that has been used rather than abused, with roughly R9,000 of work due in the near term. None of it is structural and none of it would stop us buying the car — but it should come off the asking price, because the seller has not priced it in.
Findings by severity
🔴 SIGNIFICANT — Oil leak, rear of engine
Fresh oil residue visible around the rear main seal area, with a corresponding drip mark on the ground where the car had been standing. Oil level on the dipstick is at the lower mark.
Estimated to investigate and repair: R3,500 – R9,000 depending on the source. This needs a proper look before you commit.
🟠 ATTENTION — Front tyres at approximately 3 mm
Both fronts measured at 3 mm, legal but close to replacement. Rears at 5 mm. Slight wear on the inner shoulder of the front left, which suggests alignment is out.
Two front tyres plus alignment: R2,600 – R4,200.
🟠 ATTENTION — Rear brake discs
Visible lip on both rear discs and pad material down to roughly 4 mm. Braking performance during the road test was even and straight, so this is maintenance rather than a safety concern today.
Rear discs and pads: R2,200 – R3,400.
🟡 NOTED — Aircon slow to cool
Cools, but took longer than expected to reach temperature. Could be a regas, could be more. Worth having checked rather than assumed.
🟢 GOOD — Body and paint
Panel gaps even on both sides. Paint consistent across all panels with no evidence of respray. Factory bolt heads untouched on bonnet, doors and boot. No rust in the sills, arches or spare wheel well.
🟢 GOOD — Cold start and road test
Started cleanly from cold with no rattle and no smoke. Idle steady. Gearbox shifted cleanly through every gear including reverse. No pull under braking, no knocks over uneven surfaces, temperature stable throughout.
🟢 GOOD — Service history
Service book stamped at consistent intervals with readings climbing in order. Last service at 108,200 km, which is plausible against the odometer and the physical condition of the pedals, seat and steering wheel.
What we could not check
This section appears in every report and is never left blank.
- No electronic fault-code scan was carried out. Faults stored in the vehicle's computer — and whether any warning light was cleared shortly before the inspection — could not be assessed.
- The vehicle was not raised. Underbody inspection was from ground level with a torch only.
- Nothing was dismantled.
- The road test covered approximately 12 km of town and highway driving. Intermittent faults outside that window would not have appeared.
What you can negotiate with
| Item | Estimated cost |
|---|---|
| Rear discs and pads | R2,200 – R3,400 |
| Two front tyres and alignment | R2,600 – R4,200 |
| Oil leak — investigate | R3,500 – R9,000 |
| Total near-term | R8,300 – R16,600 |
Informed estimates for Gauteng, given so that you are not overcharged. They are not quotations, and we do not carry out repairs or take commission from any workshop.
Recommendation
The body, the history and the way it drives are all good, and those are the expensive things to get wrong. The oil leak is the one item we would want understood before money changes hands — ask the seller to have it looked at, or price it in.
Roughly R9,000 of work on a car at this price is normal rather than alarming. It is only a problem if you pay as though it is not there.
Your report will look like this, for your car. Same day, with photographs of every significant finding.
Book a pre-purchase inspection — R550 →
WhatsApp: +27 69 696 1070